Eric Schultz / The Huntsville Times -- Dr. Debra Moriarity, talks about her memories and thoughts on the one-year annivesary of the UAH shootings in her office at the Shelby Center Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011 in Huntsville, Ala.

"Yes," Moriarity said when asked if the plea deal giving Bishop life in prison without parole is justice. "We don't have this worry that she might get off for something she did essentially because of the insanity plea," Moriarity said.

Moriarity said she learned of the possibility of a plea several weeks ago while meeting with prosecutors in preparation for Bishop's scheduled trial Sept. 24. She did not know it would be today until she was contacted by a university official shortly before the plea was entered.

Moriarity said the victims she talked to after the prosecution meetings "just kinda said, yeah, that'd be the best thing." She added that it will be a relief as well for the families "who lost people and were so badly injured... It's just been hanging and hanging, and getting it over and knowing that she will receive whatever justice there and we all won't have to relive the whole thing all over again is good." Asked if the plea deal seemed just to her, Moriarity said, "Yes."

Moriarity was in the conference room when Bishop opened fire during a faculty meeting on Feb. 12 2010. Bishop pointed the gun at Moriarity and pulled the trigger as Moriarity tried to crawl under the table to freedom. The gun jammed and Bishop fled the room.

Joe Leahy, another of the professors who was in the conference room that day, said late this afternoon that he's "mainly thinking about'' the families of biology professors Maria Ragland Davis and Adriel Johnson, and Biology Department chair Gopi Podila.

Davis, Johnson and Podila were killed that day in the conference room. Leahy was among three people who were wounded.

"My main concern is for the families of the deceased families of this terrible tragedy,'' he said.

He also said that he thought a condensed trial, scheduled for later this month, "would be best for the Podila, Johnson and Davis families, and the conclusion of this trial may give these families peace that justice has been done.''